Conservation areas

Information about conservation areas, and how we conserve and improve areas of character

Conservation areas

Conservation areas can cover:

the whole or part of a village

part of a town

a single street

They are areas of distinct character, which we wish to conserve and improve.

There are now 44 conservation areas in West Norfolk. They range from large conservation areas covering the older parts of central King's Lynn, to the conservation area at Burnham Overy Mills covering a small group of important buildings on the North Coast.

You can view the conservation area boundaries on a map, using our 'find my nearest' facility.

New developments

Any new development in a conservation area will need to be of a high standard. It will need to fit in with the character of the area, and we will give special attention to this. We'll also give the same considerations to more minor proposals, such as extensions. These can spoil the appearance of a conservation area unless carefully handled. We also place importance on the quality of:

landscaping

planting schemes

paving

lighting

street furniture and advertisements

Article 4 Direction

In King's Lynn, and New Houghton, there are stricter controls because an Article 4 Direction applies. This means that any external alterations to buildings must have planning permission before the work is carried out. This includes:

painting

replacement window frames

different roof tiles

external cladding to walls

new garages, sheds or outbuildings

Trees in conservation areas

In designated conservation areas, six weeks’ notice is required before carrying out any work to, or felling a tree. For further information please see our Trees in conservation areas page.